Improvement in animal-trap



tlnitd Ostait JOSEPH NAMPEL, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 96,946, dated November 16, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN'l ANIMAL-TRAP.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters ':=1.tem: and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concernV Be it known that I, JOSEPH NAMPEL, of Freeport, in the countyof Stephenson, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RatTraps;-and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

'andto theletteis of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and general arrangement of a self-setting rat-trap, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, which represent a perspective view of my invention.

A represents a box, of suitable dimensions, open at both ends, and provided at the rear end with grate bars a a.

The top of the box A is inclined, so that the month of the box is higher than the rear end.

In the mouth of the box A, is inserted another box, or rather frame, B, which consists merely of two sides, having an inclined piece, C, at their lower edges, connecting them together.

This bottom C extends from the front end of the frame B to about the centre, and is inclined upward toward the rear.

At its upper rear edge, and in the sides of the frame B, is pivoted a false bottom, D, which extends to therear of the frame,and also in front of the same. The front end of the false bottom D being consequently the heaviest, its natural position will be to rest on the inclined bottom O. IVhcn the false bottom is in this position, its inner end will be at a certain point on the' inner or rear end of the frame B.

Froin'this point upward, the rear end ofthe frame is provided'with grating, b,'ou the outsidev of which is the bait-hook d.

The rats being attracted by thebait on the hook d, will come up the inclined false bottom D, and as soony as they have passed the pivot-point, their weight will cause said false bottom to tilt inward, precipitating them into the box A.

As soon as' the weight is thus removed from the inner endof 'the false bottom D, said bottom will at once readjust itself, owing to the heaviness of its front end,

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, as herein set forth, of the box A, adjustable frame B, inclined bottom C, and pivoted false bottom I), all arranged to operate as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I a'ix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH NAMPEL.

Witnesses:

C. O. SHULER, W. S. AGNEY. 

